I’ve already confessed this in my top ten bookish confessions last year (it’s SHOCKING!) but I decided I wanted to talk more about 2 of my confessions after a few conversations I’ve had recently and seeing this post which touched on a few of my confessions but in the OPPOSITE way.
I feel like the ONLY blogger in the WORLD sometimes (dramatically exaggerating here) who does not care about certain things when it comes to buying books.
I do not inspect my books in any way before buying them.
In my almost 3 years of blogging I’ve had a lot of trips to the bookstore or signings with other bloggers and I picked up on this really quickly. Let me set the scene:
A blogger and I are browsing for books. We finally choose what we are going to buy. I grab the book off the shelf and I’m all. OK READY. I turn to look at the blogger and find all of the books off the shelf and she is inspecting it with a magnifying glass as if she is searching for fingerprints or evidence or something. Ok, maybe there were no magnifying glasses but you catch my drift.
Me: Wh-what are you doing? *looks around to see if people are staring*
Blogger: Just grabbing the book!
Me: But….you are literally touching like 10 of them. They are all the same.
Blogger: Yeah but I need to make sure the pages are not bent, that there are no thready things hanging, THAT NOBODY TOUCHED IT EVER.
Me:
Now, in no way do I think there is something wrong with this blogger, because I soon learned this is NORMAL BEHAVIOR and I am in fact OUT OF THE LOOP. But I truly had never thought about inspecting my books before I buy them until that day. A page might be bent? A crease might be on the cover? There are thready things that can hang off the pages? Wrinkles on the pages?? Specks of things? I mean, if there was a huge rip in the cover or an obvious maiming to it I might pick the one behind it but I had NEVER SEEN THIS. Ever. Maybe it’s because I loooove used books and used to buy them a lot. I don’t know.
I do not care if my covers match in a series.
So ready for another story?? I was reading the Jessica Darling series and had just finished book 2. I realized that I was *GASP* missing book 3 but had book 4 & 5. I tweeted a picture of this on my shelf and said, “DO WE SEE THE PROBLEM HERE?” and literally, I kid you not, almost every person said, “Yeah, your books don’t match.” NOT THE ANSWER I EXPECTED TO SEE.
It’s true. They didn’t match. I had never noticed it. I didn’t know this was a thing. All along my shelves are different covers in a series or a hardcover next to a paperback. I just buy the books when I see them! Especially if it’s on sale as in the case of the Jessica Darling series. This amuses me because I would consider myself a person who likes things to match (not annoying matchy match) in fashion and in decor. But books? I’m like ughhh?
So when all these cover re-packagings happen I sit in the corner only mourning if they made them fugly — not because now my series won’t match. (Although I will say I find the excess of the re-packagings rather irritating though it mostly doesn’t affect me). Would it be awesome if all my books in a series matched? SURE IT WOULD BE. Would I notice? Probably not!
Now before we get to talking just remember:
So I’m not judging your habits at the bookstore 😛
What about you guys? Do you inspect your books?? (what do you look for?? Please tell me!!) Is it something you’ve always done? Do all your series have to match?? Are there any other “book OCDs” you have? Is there anybody who honestly doesn’t care? I’m telling you…I feel like a pinky sparkly unicorn on this one because I have not come across a blogger (that I’ve gone to the bookstore with) that DOESN’T care. Come on, let’s not care together!
Lydia/The List Entwife says
I also do not inspect or care about matching. I buy on a whim as well and rarely am disappointed when I buy!
Bekka @ Pretty Deadly Reviews says
I’ve never inspected my books before but thanks to you, I will now! It’s going to bug the hell out of me if I don’t.
I also don’t care if my books don’t match. Well, I used to not care, now it bugs me a little. But before I started blogging… gah, you should see my shelves. There’s a particular series that’s all out of sorts: the Sweep books by Cate Tiernan. I read them a LONG time ago, but I had borrowed them from a friend. A couple years ago I decided I wanted to reread them. So I bought some, read them, and then got my hands on the next books by whatever means I could. So of course they don’t match, and there’s like 15 of them. *shrugs*
I do care a little bit now, but that’s because I buy lots of hardcovers when I never used to. So yes, I hate when they repackage books in the middle of the series – it’s so damn irritating. But I’m not one to go out and buy a second copy of a book I already own that is in perfectly readable condition, just because it doesn’t match.
Bonnie @ A Backwards Story says
I do, but I’m OCD about many things, not just books! I don’t know why.
Kelsey @ The Lost Book Reports says
I don’t overly inspect my books. As long as there isn’t anything OBVIOUSLY wrong with the book I see, I will buy it and sometimes I will still buy it, if it is a very minor issue and it is the last book or on sale.
As for the series thing. I prefer my books to match and be the same style. But I have mixed and matched paperbacks and hardcovers before. Usually, though that is because the book was only published in that format and I don’t want to wait years for a chance they may print it in the other format too.
ashley says
I do not check when purchasing books. I guess I’ve bought enough from online that I’m not bothered by which book I pick up. Which is weird, because I’m so very Type-A. That being said, as much as I don’t care which book I pick up, I do care when they don’t match. That is where my Type-A side really comes out. I know, as someone who follows me on twitter, you’re SHOCKED that I’m Type-A. Moving on. I get VERY upset when my books don’t match however my cheapness tends to win out so when book two in the series is dirt cheap, oh, I no longer care about matching!
Plus not caring has allowed me room to care about other things. I know, I’m judging myself. I blame school finishing up.
Alyssa says
I work in a bookstore and I see this all the time. People will return a book if it has a tiny crinkle in a page or a small tear somewhere. I appreciate when my book looks good but I won’t inspect it until I see every grain on the paper. And my coworkers and I get a good laugh out of people freaking out if their book isn’t perfect. It looks well loved that way!
Although, I do prefer to have my series matching. It won’t stop me from buying it if I really want it but I would rather have them the same.
Great post! I totally understand where you are coming from.
Allison (Allure of Books) says
I have selective book OCD.
For the most part, I adore used books and don’t much care if my newer books have creases or tears. (One of my favorite places to find deals is the scratch and dent section at bookcloseouts.com!)
I have old library books and beat to hell paperbacks and ripped up dust jackets all over the place. SO WHAT? The words inside are still the same! Even my Harry Potter books are quite a bit over the “they’re just well loved” mark.
BUT. !!
Sometimes, if it is a series I obsessively love and wait for each year, I *need* my beautiful books to all match and look pretty on my shelves together. This is rare, but it happens. I wanted to RIP FACES OFF when my beloved Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander switched publishers and the covers changed. Theeeen it turned out the new covers are 100x prettier than the old ones and I got over it. 🙂
T.M. Franklin says
This post is hysterical. I gotta admit, it did bug me that I had a mass market little paperback for book 1 and hardbacks for 2-4 in a particular series, but not enough to go buy a hardback.
What’s that they say? It’s what’s inside that counts… 😉
Sheri @ Tangled Up In Books says
I only just now started inspecting my books a bit closer before I buy them because when I started reading “My Life Next Door” I got to quite literally the middle of the book and the very next page was ripped out right down the middle vertically. So I had….half a page. It made me a bit more cautious.
As for covers, I’m not too bothered if they match or not, I mean it’s nice if they do but my only cover issue is the books turned movies that now have a movie tie in cover. I can’t stand that. I’ll go out of my way to find an original-ish one. No specific reason just a pet peeve. Other than that my series sets are mixed up between hardcover and paperback and some mixed designs. And I’m okay with that. 🙂
Wendy says
I generally don’t care if my books in a series match BUT I totally have that OCD thing about inspecting books. I just want it to be pretty and perfect! One of my pet peeves is when I lend books to people and the poor books return with bent pages. or something.
Also, one of my weird bookstore habits? I smell the books. (Hence the name of my blog!) I just really love the smell of new books. It’s kind of refreshing. Maybe I just have a thing for smells because I also have a weird obsession with men’s deodorant and cologne. But seriously. New book smells. Amazing!
Amanda D says
I don’t go too crazy when it comes to inspecting books, but if I have the choice, I never choose the book that is on top/at the front of a stack. I would just rather choose a book that hasn’t been touched by the entirety of Earth’s population, y’know? I’ll (obviously) pick up the book if there is only one, though.
I’m ridiculous.
i*Heart*BigBooks says
LOVE this post.
I confess! I’m a book inspector. I check the spines, the covers, I flip thru the pages. I hate it when the spines have those weird crinkles in it (only some paperbacks do…manufacturing thing). Or I’ve seen books where the pages weren’t all the way cut, so that a few pages were still attached together and would have to be cut apart to read.
This is crazy, I know….But then again….when I read, I don’t crack the spines of paperbacks…so they pretty much stay in the condition in which I bought them.
I don’t need my series to match.
Oh, and this extends past books. I inspect everything I purchase from DVDs to food….magazines too.
I have issues.
Nae says
Nup, I don’t inspect my books. As long as the cover is good, i’ll pick up the first one in the pile. *high five unicorns* I don’t usually mind about covers matching either, but I like to have the series in either hard cover or paper back, not both – that’s where JR Ward got me. My BDB series is half and half *gasp shock horror* 😀
Ashley @ Backstage Book Lover says
I don’t typically check my books either. Like as long as there’s nothing super noticeable on the cover. Matching covers are the same. I mean I’d prefer them to match, but if they don’t it’s not going to kill me. I think I’m going to be thinking about these things a lot more now though.
Danielle says
Yup I *have* to select a book from the back of the shelf. I check for tears, dirty pages, dust. Lol it’s the same with magazines, cannot pick one from the front. Covers tho…Harry Potter was the only series that the covers had to match, everything else I just pick up as I see it. I’m not allowed a bookshelf anymore, that was the deal when I got my kindle so the books I’ve sneaked in since then or stuck under my desk or on top of my wardrobe so I don’t have any reason to be precious about size, width when lining them up etc lol
Daniel says
I don’t really inspect the book, I just make sure it hasn’t been too abused by people in the store. Alright, so maybe I make sure the cover isn’t bent, and the pages aren’t weird or anything, but I’m not obsessive about it. As for the covers, I think I don’t really care, but looking around my shelves it looks like I do, since all of them seem to match, and I was annoyed when one book in a series suddenly was like a different shape to the others, it was a lot larger. I mean, it’s just nitpicking, since I still love the book, but it’s different size is annoying (not just because it’s out of place, but because it’s more annoying to read). I’ve never really thought about buying specific country editions to get better covers, it’s an interesting idea, the only exception to all this, is that I have two of the Gone series from America, and their covers are so much better than ours, which are literally just black with coloured writing for the text, so I won’t be buying those!
Chantelle says
I like the covers in a series to match, and for them to be the same size, where possible, but I’ve had to deal with that issue with the InDeath series by J.D. Robb here in Australia when from book 29 onwards they changed the covers. Thankfully they are nice covers but they are a bit bigger than the others (I don’t buy that particular series until the mass market paperback comes out) so my bookshelf looks a bit odd. It is helpful when I am working at the library though because I won’t display books with really battered and worn covers that look misused.
Leela says
Well, I think I do the same as you. I grab the book and buy it, but it’s true I wish I had done the same the blogger did 🙁 My partner bought me The Descendants. I left the book in my shelf and one day I took it and started turning pages because I wanted to see how long it was and if it was divided into chapters. So, I was doing this when I saw a page bent and glued in the wrong way. So I had to unglue it and in the process I saw how the page broke. The thing is when I unfold the page I realise the page is bigger than the rest and now it’s wrinkled and broken ¬¬ I know it’s a silly thing, but it annoyed me because the book was not in the condition I’d expected.
Charlotte @ Lit Addicted Brit says
I’m kind of half and half on this – I definitely don’t check books for minor scuffs or anything before I buy them but I *do* hate series that don’t match!
It’s most annoying when there’s a series that I love and I buy the instalments that are already out and then a new one is out in hardback! I actually either wait and get the paperback or get an ebook copy and buy the paperback later :-/ And yes, I do know how daft that sounds…:)
Johannah Doll says
I’m not picky. I could care less about bent pages or matching covers. I have however learned to check the book behind it because sometimes It’s a signed copy. 🙂
Laurie C says
It’s funny to find out other people’s habits! I don’t look through a book before buying either, but now that I know all these other people are looking through all the books in the stack before I get to them, maybe I will because I now know I’m getting one of their rejects! 😉
Ciska says
I had to laugh reading this post because I did not really see myself as a book inspector series cover freak until I started to think about it more carefully. I came to realize that since I got a book last year that had chapter 15 to 25 in the middle of the book twice but not the end I check quickly if the page number seem to be right.
If I am paying a lot of money for a special edition from a title I will check it too if it is complete and if it does not have folded pages and so on. (unless it is a complete misprint because I will get it anyway ;))
For cover I notice I do like it better when the covers match. But that does not mean I wait for a paperback edition if that happens to fit in my series better. I do switch books sometimes in my second hand store. If I have the same title in good condition but different edition and the one fitting my series is there I bring my own to the second hand store and pick up the fitting book but this actually happens more with the size of the book exchanging mass market paperback for trade paperbacks (and obviously pay a bit extra)
So yes I can at myself too 🙂
Kristin says
I was a book inspector, but I also love love love used bookstores. Deals trump a bent corner anytime. Even though I used to inspect a book to pick up the best looking one before I bought it, once it was mine, I wrote in it, underlined and highlighted stuff, and I always, always put my name in the front. It was like I was staking my territory. Now I am much less sentimental and actually prefer to buy only those books by authors who have stamped my heart. I utilize the library so much more than I ever did, which means I can keep up with new releases more quickly, and I tend to recycle books I do buy or that are already on my bookshelves, especially if I didn’t love them. I think the book blogging world is full of unicorns!
Charlie says
I don’t go crazy, but I will pick the one that’s cover is most mint-conditioned. If all copies are messed up I won’t buy, full price for a used book doesn’t work. Covers matching I don’t bother so much with after a few times where matching covers didn’t exist.
Anya says
Omg thank you! I don’t even care if the formats of books in a series match, haha. I have a paperback of Girl of Fire and Thorns and a hardcover of Crown of Embers because that was available and I waaaaaaanted it, hehe. Can I be a unicorn too? 😀
Mel@thedailyprophecy says
I used to hate mismatching covers, especially when one is a paperback and the other is a hardcover. But I’m a poor student and when I see the paperback of part two in the sale, while I have part one in hardcover – I still buy it. I live on bargains, haha. And I’m starting to get over it now. It’s all about the inside after all and the funky look definitely adds something to my shelves :p
I do inspect my books. I always take the book at the end of the row, just to be sure that there aren’t any crinkled pages. And I hate cracked spines, so I want an untouched book.
Mel@thedailyprophecy.
Ginger @ GReads! says
I’ve noticed this behavior, too. Granted I don’t want to buy a book that has a ripped cover, or some weird stain on the front lol! But.. I don’t bust out my magnifying glass either! A book is a book. Does it have to look pretty & perfect? Absolutely not. I care more about what’s written inside. And I am with you on the non-matching series thing. None of mine match! And it’s funny you mention the Jessica Darling thing b/c half of mine are paperback, two are hardback, and the last one’s cover doesn’t match the previous ones. Do I care? Absolutely not!
Jamie says
TESTING TESTING. (Sorry G, I need to make sure my damn comment notification emails are working!) Can you let me know if you are getting this?
Nicole says
Hah I never inspect my books BUT I feel like I don’t really buy that many in comparison to other bloggers (confession time?). I DO, however, have a perfectionist tendency and inconsistencies in my book covers/formats will drive me CRAZY. More so format over cover because I need them to be the same height on the shelf or I will go berserk. I love this confession posts/your discussion posts in general! I am always reading them on my phone however and rarely remember to go back and comment *makes a mental note to be better about that*. I really want to start some discussions/confessions of my own. You inspire me! 😀
Nicole @ The Quiet Concert
Book Girl from South Carolina says
Jamie – I totally get your point, once I find what i want to get, i’m done. I buy a lot of my stuff these days via Kindle – even though I miss the actually fun of a bookstore shopping trip – but that means i get what i get and I don’t have a shelf for the to match or not match. So far all the ARC i have gotten have been via Net Gallery or Edelweiss too – so same thing there. But I totally see your point, I have never looked at more than one copy of any book – I find what I want and I buy it, as long as it’s not torn in half or something I’m good.
But i can understand that some people are more choosy, and no judgement – that’s just not my style.. I probably bend it up while i’m reading it and before it gets to my personal shelf anyway.. I love making them my own, maybe even marking them – so I am 100% with you on this! I don’t understand why they need to be perfect. I guess my life, or well i live in a mild state of Chaos so same goes here. But again, no judging – to each his own! Happy Friday!
Mary @ BookSwarm says
The only thing I’m kind of OCD about is the spines of my trade paperbacks–I don’t like when they’re bent open. Regular paperbacks, well, they’re all bendy but the trades…no. Other than that, I’m good.
Stormy says
I really don’t care about my covers matching– sometimes I prefer it when they don’t, honestly! It gives my bookshelf a homey and eclectic feel(or so I like to think, anyway). I typically go for the cheapest copy of a book, and I don’t inspect thoroughly, but I do typically quickly skim some of the pages just to make sure there’s no HUGE errors, like holes in pages(which happened to me once!)
Tammy says
Ha ha ha…I totally inspect my books! I started out as a book collector, so it’s something I do automatically. I never ever select the book on the top of the pile, because that’s the book that everyone’s been looking through with their grubby paws. I once even sent a book back that I got from Amazon because there was a small rip in the corner of the dust jacket:)
Candice @ The Grown-Up YA says
Love this! I think I’m halfway between unicorn and OCD about books. Yes, I like mine to match. But will I buy a whole new set to have them match? No. Yes, I like my books to look pretty. And unless I’m at the used bookstore and there are multiple copies of one book will I go through every book to find the most perfect one? No. I think it comes down to asking yourself what you’re more interested in: the book’s cover or its contents. One of my very favorite series, Harry Potter, is filled with mis-matched books. I would LOVE to have a matching hardcover set, but you know what? I didn’t fall in love with the series with those books. I fell in love with it through the cover worn wrinkly pages of the set I have now and I couldn’t love them more. I don’t think books are meant to sit and look pretty and be all matchy matchy – they’re meant to be devoured, used, loved. No matter what they look like! 🙂
Deanna says
I don’t really inspect my books when buying. If the cover is obviously bent or warped already, I will probably go to one of the back copies…but otherwise, I’m not that particular.
As for matching–if I’m actually buying the books in a series just to read them (like I did with Jessica Darling), no, I don’t care if they match. Especially if it’s not a series that is super important to me…I just want the cheapest copy I can find! : ) I did ask for the matching Harry Potter box set last year though. I had all the books, but they were all different formats and strewn about, and I wanted a matching set. Mostly for sentimental/keepsake purposes.
Asti (A Bookish Heart) says
Unicorns unite! You’re definitely not alone. I don’t care if my books match in a series, and I definitely don’t inspect books before buying them. Does that make me a bad book lover? Maybe! But I want to read the book, not stare at it!
Ashling says
When it comes to checking to see if a book is perfect, I usually don’t care unless it’s a huge flaw like a ripped cover or a really warped paperback. Otherwise, creases or bent page corners don’t bug me. I love used books so books that are slightly beat up are a norm.
But when it comes to having matching covers, I’m kind of OCD because I HATE when my book covers don’t match. It’s worse with out-of-print books/editions, because then I have to go scouring through used bookstores, Amazon, and PaperbackSwap to find the correct edition to match the rest of my series. And it’s not just book covers; it’s DVDs for TV shows. When they change the cases between seasons and then seasons 1-3 look one way, and season 4 looks different, it drives me nuts. And sometimes the changes are little, like the title is an inch lower on the side, or the first three boxes have the number of the season on the top, but the next one doesn’t. Why do they do that?!
Soooo… yeah… I’m kind of OCD (read: a little nuts) when it comes to that. 🙂
Dione says
Book inspector over here! I mostly buy kindle books now, but certain favourite authors (Lisa See, Khaled Hosseni, Sophie Kinsella) I prefer hard copies. At Costco where I buy most of my hard copy books I will reach to the middle or back of a stack to get the copy I want. I also order from Amazon and always hope my books arrive as perfect as possible. I prefer a series or certain authors to be in all trade paper or hardcover but its not essential.
Stephanie Sinclair says
I don’t think I’ve even inspected my books in a book store, but I do prefer my books to match! When they redesign series, I’m always like, “Nooooooooo!” Darth Vader style and all. It is that serious. LOL.
Lisa @ Read.Breathe.Relax. says
Jamie – I’m TOTALLY with you on the covers not matching thing. It’s like I want to care, but when it comes down to it…I just don’t. I have tons of series that are part ARCs, part finished copies and part ebooks. As long as I have them, I really don’t care what format they’re in.
Great post!
CeCe says
Forgot the book OCD… did you ever read book #3 of the Jessica Darling series?! Ensuing that you have in fact read book#3 is what is making me most neurotic at the moment. haha : )
Christina (A Reader of Fictions) says
Lol! Okay, so I do generally inspect a book to see if it’s in condition, but I also buy the bulk of my books used, so I don’t want to get home and find a dead bug in the pages or that every word is highlighted or a page is missing or something. At a book store, if I’m paying full price, I certainly don’t want to grab a bent one, but that’s so rare that I don’t do much inspecting there.
Being the deal hunter that I am, I really don’t care if my series match. Sometimes, it amuses me when they really don’t, like I have three different cover designs for the Across the Universe series. I also like when they match, but it really doesn’t matter.
Leah says
Ohhhh god! My books HAVE to match! I made a blog post about this recently here . I feel so sad when I have different versions of books within a series. It frustrates me so much! Crazy I know.
BUT, I’m almost with you in the inspecting thing. I don’t completely inspect them but I do check the covers, look at the spine to make sure none of the colour has worn off and to make sure the pages aren’t too scrunchy. I like to scrunch my own books lol! I love when my books look well read though…. after I’VE read them. Not before buying :).
Shelver506 says
I’m with you on inspecting. If there’s an obvious defect, sure, I’ll care. But I’m not going to go over the book with a magnifying glass, because OF COURSE other people have touched it. How do you think it got on the shelf? Magic? Sheesh.
And here’s a big shocker. Even if a book is “new,” it’s likely already been read. At my store, one of the perks of being an employee is being able to use the store like a library. So if I recommend you a book, odds are pretty good that that book has already been taken to my home, enjoyed, and brought back. Them’s the breaks, kids.
Now I do LIKE if my books match, and I’ll try to make them match if they’re new books, but I buy so many thrift store books that I’m not going to get my panties in a wad if they don’t.
Kristen@MyFriendsAreFiction says
My very close friend is a book inspector-not me though. Like you it didn’t occur to me :-/ nor do I care for matching books. But I DO care about 1st editions. I want the 1st edition hardcover.
Molli says
I don’t hardcore inspect my books before I buy them, but I DO check them over real quick (if they’re new) to make sure they’re in decent condition – a quick glance to make sure the cover isn’t ripped, etc. There was one I wanted to buy at WalMart the other week, and when I picked it up, I noticed a BUNCH of the pages were messed up – so I didn’t buy it. SAD. But like going through it with a fine tooth comb? That’s too much work!
Now covers…that is a HUGE HUGE pet peeve of mine. I cannot STAND when I’ve already bought books 1 and 2 in a series, then for the third one, the covers change. This is totally a “me” thing. I don’t mind SO much if I don’t already OWN the books, but if I own them and them they change mid-series, I will feel compelled to buy a matching set…which sucks when you don’t have money. I’m not SO OCD about it if they change all the covers at once AFTER the books are all out. Weird, I know.
Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit says
I’m not OCD about any of these things. I like my covers to match, but like you, if I see something on sale, I will probably just get it. And I like my books to be in good condition, so I’ll inspect it at the store, but not with a magnifying glass. If there’s a huge rip or a giant bent edge, I’ll probably grab another one, but if I get home and there are a few bent corners, I’m like, “Whatever, it’s going to get bent anyway.”
I have noticed that there are some bloggers who are scary about lending out books, and I’m terrified to borrow from them because they insist on keeping their books pristine. I don’t get that. I mean, now you’ve read it, so it should have your character on it, right?
Here are a few other things I really don’t care about that everyone else seems to care about:
1) book swag – bookmarks? Posters? Whatever. I mean, if it’s a really pretty bookmark, then maybe, but otherwise…meh. What am I going to do with it?
2) signed books – if I’ve gotten my book signed by the author and have met and chatted with them, that’s pretty cool. But if I win a signed book? Whatever. It could be a non-signed version. I just care about what’s inside!
SweetMarie83 says
I think I fall somewhere in between the scale of Jamie OCD Blogger. I buy a lot of used books (mostly online because I can’t get to my city’s used book store on the bus) so I have no idea how they’re going to arrive and more often than not the books I buy in ‘very good’ condition end up arriving in ‘fair’ condition. I’ve also had books arrive that weren’t the cover shown, so I’ve had to get used to that and accept that for what I paid, it’s not worth having a meltdown. Also, I buy a lot of bargain books and I don’t know if this is common, but at my local Chapters (and also on BookCloseouts.ca), the bargain books have a black marker line across the outside pages…but considering they’re hardcovers and I got them for like $4, again not complaining. I do like for my books to match, but if I can get them on sale and they’re different, I don’t care. I just bought the Summer trilogy by Jenny Han and I got all three from different places for about $4 each and two are paperback and one is hardcover. Does it look funny on the shelf? Maybe…but I paid about $12 for ALL THREE whereas I could have paid that for ONE if I’d bought them where they weren’t on sale. So. Because I’m a bargain hunter, I’m not overly concerned. However, I will admit to going into Chapters and even in the bargain section when I’m picking out a $4 book, I will usually set the first couple aside and pick one that’s in the best condition. Just coz I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t let my OCD show sometimes.
~Marie @ Ramblings of a Daydreamer
Courtney @ The Lit Girl says
I buy a lot of books used, so if I inspected them thoroughly, I would probably own maybe 3 books! Ha. I personally love books that look well-loved and a little worn. I love seeing books with cracked spines because that means someone truly loved and continuously opened that book! And I never cared about matching covers until I started watching booktubers and reading about other bloggers who are concerned about it. My Harry Potter books are a mix of the hard and soft covers, but I’ve had them for years. Now, I can’t buy Insurgent until it comes out in soft cover because I bought Divergent as a soft cover and they need to match! It’s weird.
Jenn @ Booksessed says
Oh, how I love you! I’m kind of in the middle on this. When I buy new books (I’m a fan of used as well) I will briefly look them over for obvious things like wrinkled pages/covers, tearing. But I’m not super picky about it because I usually end up semi abusing my books. I check books mostly because I came home with a new book once that had a section of about 15 pages upside down and lopsided! How does that even happen?
Recently I’ve become a bit more obsessed about books matching and I don’t really know why. I’m hoping it’s just a phase.
Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says
I don’t inspect, but there was ONE time I wish I did… My copy of Anna and the French Kiss has a deckled edge (and I had to look that word up again because I totally forgot) and that is not a book I wanted to have deckled edges. SIGH. Oh well.
I usually DO like when all my covers match but that’s not the end of the world. What DOES bother me is having part of the series in hardcover and part in paperback because then they’re not all the same height. They have to look orderly on my shelves and I won’t separate a series because of it so I just stare at them and let it bother me haha. My Harry Potters are currently half PB, half HB so I’m waiting for the day (and by that I mean in a few months) when I get to take my boyfriend’s moms hardcover copies because they’re moving and I’m HOPING she won’t want to take those with hahaha.
Emma @ Hopeful Happiness says
I don’t care about matching but I am so OCD about the books I purchased. Then again I hate parting with my money. I need to make sure that I am getting the best copy there and I do that with clothes and other things too! It’s kind of ridiculous but I’ve never had a ton of money so it’s just sort of ingrained in me at this point to spend it wisely and get the best quality available.
Andrea @Cozy Up With A Good Read says
I never inspect my books, I love used books and I usually go for the ones that are well-read so for me I don’t mind if the page has been bent before. The only thing I look for is a ripped cover or something very noticeable that would make me choose another book.
But for series, I would rather have my covers matching, it bugs me when they look different. I don’t usually care if they are mixed PB and HC but I want the cover to be along the same lines.
Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook says
Oookay, so in terms of inspecting books before I buy them. I definitely don’t look through the books with a fine toothed comb. I will just make sure the cover looks good, and then I go.
But I definitely like my series to match. I mean, I’m not totally crazy about it, but I am so much happier with matching series. So, for example, I went to a signing featuring Marissa Meyer. I bought Scarlet in hardcover for her to sign, but the bookstore didn’t have the hardcover of Cinder, and I didn’t want to have a softcover and hardcover. So when I got home from the signing I bought the hardcover from Amazon. And I will bring Cinder with me when I got to another signing with Meyer, so she can sign that one.
However, I do have trade paperbacks of Graceling and Fire and a hardcover of Bitterblue, and this doesn’t bother me at all. I don’t know why. I guess I jsut not consistent 🙂
michelle_etc says
I don’t care if series books are matchy-matchy either! Different covers, some paperback, some hardcover, it’s all the same to me.
But I have to admit I’m kind of OCD when I’m buying a *new* book. I want it to look new! If I happen to bend the pages or crease the cover or anything like that while I’m reading it, that’s totally fine. Or if it’s used and/or on sale, I don’t mind so much. I actually love the look of a well-used book. 🙂
Janita (Book, Interrupted) says
Haha I am all of these things. I go through stacks of books at the bookstore to find one that looks like it came out of a laboratory (which is why The Book Depository annoys me sometimes because my books don’t come in the best condition). I like my books to match hardcover and soft cover, but usually I’m too impatient to wait for the paperback or too cheap to buy the hardcover. Oooor I’m at a used bookstore or Value Village and what you get is what you get (in which case I don’t complain, I’m getting ten books for thirty dollars).
Vivian says
Haha, what?! You don’t inspect every minute detail of a book’s pages & cover before you buy it?! LOL.
I am pretty picky about which books I actually buy it in person. When I order online, you just get what you get, so I can’t complain, but when I’m actually in a bookstore, I make sure to get the best on they have there. Nevermind that when I actually own it, things may happen to the book, but at least it was in mint condition when I bought it. I’m pretty crazy like that.
About covers, yes, I’d like them all to match, but I’m not SO OCD that I get all crazy if they don’t. Esp since I have some hardcovers & some paperbacks of a series. As long as the story is the same, it doesn’t really bug me that much. I think the only thing that gets to me is that if they change a cover & its worse than the original. That’s more a matter of taste tho, lol.
Rose says
I don’t actually inspect books either, obviously if there was something bad – like a bent cover, ripped page, I’d probably pick up another one, but I think of books that have a bit of wear on them as “well-loved.” I also don’t care much for matching covers. I like the mismatched look of my bookshelf, personally. I think it adds more character in my honest opinion.
Kaitlin Michelle says
I do not inspect my books in any way. I love used books, so like you said, as long as the book isn’t awful from first sight, I will buy it. I did not know that people inspect them, I have never heard of this. I do like my covers to match, but I am not overly concerned if they do not.
Rachael @ Rachael Turns Pages says
I feel like a unicorn too in the fact that I don’t buy books. I just check them all out from the library.
Sara (of the Page Sage) says
I ALWAYS inspect my books when I’m buying them. They have to be in perfect condition! haha But as for covers matching, I don’t care too much, at least not in terms of paperback vs hardcover. Sometimes if the covers are drastically different it irks me a little bit.
Rachel says
I am way insane with books. If the spine is broken, if the cover is dented anywhere near the spine, I’m not buying it. If I buy a book online and it arrives dented I’ll give it away. Oddly I don’t mind the little threads. Those I cut. But I don’t want to pay for a book someone’s been reading in the cafe. I’ve purchased books and gotten them with chocolate chip stains… at least that’s what I tell myself they are. So yeah I’m pulling every book off the shelf finding that perfect copy.
Covers also have to match and they have to be the same height. I hate when short printed novellas are smaller (like in the Blue Bloods series). I gave away an entire signed set of the books because of that. But I’m that way with everything – furniture, computers, etc. If it’s scratched I don’t want it.
Of course I wish I were more like you!
Stephanie (Go Flash Go) says
Just last week, I ordered a signed book online. I reached out to the author to find it, and I apparently located the last book available. I called up the bookstore and was told, “Yes, we have one copy, and I actually have it right here with me.” That gave me pause. WHY was it not on the shelf? Was it being passed around and read in the bookstore? I almost hung up, but I knew there were no other (current) options. I’ve never purchased a used book. Crazy, I know. It’s just a *thing*. Nevertheless, I paid full retail price and an additional $7.00 for shipping. When it arrived, I gave it a quick once-over, and it didn’t take me long to find a large pink stain on the title page…the same page the author signed. I thought briefly about sending it back, but I worried that that might seem a little crazy. I still can’t help feeling like I paid a premium price for a book that MIGHT have been (gently) used.
Heidi says
I love you, Jamie. I don’t care about these things either, which makes me feel all wrong sometimes. I have series that are incomplete, and series that don’t match in covers or format. I honestly buy whichever is most convenient for me at the time, and I really don’t care how random it is. I’ve been working at a bookstore lately and it’s giving me insight into ALL THE CRAZY in a way just blogging never had. I see people demanding we search the back room/order a new copy if the jacket has the slightest dent in it. I DON’T GET IT. What does it really matter what it looks like, it’s the WORDS that count.
Fiona says
I don’t really inspect my books before buying them. I will maybe flip through them really quickly if I’m feeling cautious, but other than that no real inspection before buying. I also really don’t care if all my books match, though if there are two covers, I may have a preference for a certain one. I generally buy used books anyway, so I already know the books have been used but as long as it’s readable, it’s fine with me.
Liza @ Reading with ABC says
Nope, I’m not picky about either. I often have a mix of paperback and hardcovers for the same series, especially when I didn’t started it from the beginning or when I read books from the library. I also have no problem with buying used books 🙂
Kay @ It's a Book Life says
Although I love used books, because there are meaning and stories in the little creases and folds, I am 100% a book inspector. I’m one of those people that has to make sure the binding looks good, and the cover isn’t wrinkled or anything, etc. I don’t spend too much time inspecting but I do it before every book I buy. Now for the matching series, I would like all my books to match, but I’m not a stickler for it. Great post!
Kristy F says
Great post, Jamie! I don’t inspect the books I buy! For me, it’s just roam the shelves, grab the ten books I want and purchase! I mean, obviously if there’s a huge rip on the jacket, I’ll choose a different one, but I don’t go looking for the nicest one. As for the matching series, I don’t really care. I have a friend who isn’t a blogger who goes nuts over matching books and I just don’t really understand. Paperback, hardback, new cover, old cover, it’s all the same inside, right!?
I Read Books and Drink Tea says
Yep I do inspect books. Well it’s not just books, even when I buy CDs and DVDs its the same thing. I don’t really mind about the covers not matching. But if I know a book has different covers, I’ll seek out one with a cover I like.
Alexa Y. says
This post made me laugh out loud! And I mean in a good way, of course. I really do think all of us book bloggers feel like “unicorns” sometimes — and I love that you’re not afraid to admit it.
I am one of those people who inspects my books when I buy them. I can’t stand rips, tears, stains or folded pages in my books, particularly if they’re brand new books from Barnes & Noble. I look for the ones where they look like they haven’t been touched. I’m also particular about the covers of HC books — they have to be perfectly intact and not creased/wrinkled in any way. I’m a little less OCD when it comes to secondhand books. As long as it doesn’t have a rip, tear or stain, I’m okay.
My series, if I LOVE the series, has to all match. It just has to. That is why cover changes upset me (best example: Shatter Me), unless they’re effing brilliant. But if I don’t LOVE the series, it doesn’t have to match.
Julia @ That Hapa Chick says
Bahahaha this is such a great post. YES. I totally inspect my books. I figure that if I’m going to bother dropping nearly $20 on a hardcover it might as well be as perfect looking as possible! Weird? Maybe. That’s why I don’t really like buying books from Book Depository. I CAN’T PICK THE BOOK OUT MYSELF. Once I had an experience where a book came with a creased cover and ever since then I’ve been wary…. However I do love to shop at second hand bookstores and I buy stuff from there all the time. I’m not as picky about used books, but I’m still not about to buy something that’s ripped, torn, or stained. 😛
I’m also super into having my matching book covers. Normally I’m not OCD about things, but when it comes to books I totally can be. The good news is I’m not known for going out to buy replacement books simply because of a cover change. Instead I’ll just try to make sure that when I do buy books I buy them with all the same covers. If that isn’t possible then it bugs me, but I get over it. For now…. Haha. 😛
Lea B says
I don’t inspect my books – it never occurred to me, even at the used bookstore. But I do like my series books to match and I do like to have all paperback or all hardcover, not just in series but also by an author that I read often.
Christine @Buckling Bookshelves says
You’re definitely not alone! I try to avoid a copy with obvious damage, but I definitely don’t look a book over with a fine tooth comb at the bookstore. I also love used books and if I’m at a used bookstore, I’d definitely grab the nicest copy, but I’m not going to go crazy with it (I mean if one copy looks like it was read twice and another looks like it got dipped in coffee, which would you choose?) If I order a (brand new) book online and it arrives damaged from getting banged up in the mail, I’m annoyed for about 2 minutes and then I forget it. And I definitely prefer having all the books in a series vs. waiting for a matching copy to be released. So if I have the early books in paperback and a new one comes out in hardcover, you can bet I will buy the hardcover. The only time a repackaging annoys me is in the rare cases where I like the re-do better and I already have the older version. I hate that I spent my money on the book BEFORE they got a better cover on it. The Casual Vacancy is a perfect example — the forthcoming paperback is SO much better than the hardcover, but I already have it :/
Rie @ Mission to Read says
Not even in the slightest. As long as there aren’t any notable disgusting things about the book (tissue as a bookmark etc), I simply do not care. Now if I have the option I will chose the book with the prettiest cover. When I’m working on my digital library and dealing with my metadata I certainly do chose the cover that is the prettiest. I don’t care if they match.
I do care if the graphic design of the cover repells me though. Patricia Briggs books content is amazing. Seriously, within my top 5 series, but covers. OMG! Every single cover has a person on the front that doesn’t look normal. They all look like they have something wrong with their face. And that stuff drives me nuts.
Because I care a ton about graphic design, but I don’t care in the slightest about my books being perfect unless it’s a first edition classic.
Nadia says
I usually inspect my books in the bookstore but only for obvious things. Like if something is broken or marked or whatever, but not for anything else.
I’m annoyed when my books don’t match. A LOT. Especially with all these new cover changes ugh. But I’m trying to change that to save myself some nerdy pain.
And something I’m very crazy about is protecting my books. I don’t the exact names in english, but I use transparent book wrapper ? For some delicate paperbacks or really old books that I don’t want to have damaged. Like for example when I noticed the cover of my mass market paperbacks of the A Song of Ice and Fire series were getting worn/scratched/whatever I went ahead and wrapped all of them 0:)
Leanne says
Well consider me out of the loop, too! We can make our own little mini loop. Or a different shape or something. I really don’t care what kind of condition my book is in as long as it’s holding together, doesn’t have pages missing, and isn’t highlighted or underlined heavily. Even in the case of the latter I really don’t check before buying a book, and just roll with what I pick up. I frequent second-hand bookshops a lot to find the more obscure titles or things that are out of print that I wouldn’t be able to find in a shiny-and-new, mainstream bookstore. Are the people you’re picking books up with buying them new? Or used? If new I especially can’t see the concern over the condition because like, if there was some super freakazoid defect in it I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have been put on the shelf. Right? Sure.
I also don’t care if the covers or editions or even paperback vs hardback in a series match. I would prefer them to, but it won’t stop me from buying something I want to read.